Land of mirrors

Translated from its original Spanish and interwoven with flamenco lyrics, this vibrant graphic novel reminds readers that, while we may be able to survive alone, we are brighter together. Even though Antonia, the only resident of her abandoned town, fears never seeing another person again, she also fears giving any part of herself, even her shadow, away to the world around her. Her only connection is to a flower whose care anchors her to the town and its animal and botanical inhabitants. When a stranger with a talent for mimicry appears, Antonia finds herself leaving the flower behind in hopes of finding a way to keep it alive. The psychedelic style homes in on moments of connection or sensation, both physical and emotional. In an illustrative feat, the art evokes sensory experiences such as the taste of fruits, warmth from fire and sun, the smell of orange blossoms, or even the sensation of crying. The panels depict a wide array of human experiences from isolation to revelry and intimacy. "That day I started to become aware of what was around me. I'd have turned porous, had I been a stone." The metaphor of Antonia's journey to the Land of Mirrors reminds readers of what tethers us and how, in order to thrive, we must see ourselves in others and nurture that connection.

Spanish cartoonist Medem's poetic, cryptic, and hyperhued graphic novel debut unfolds like a dream. Antonia inhabits a land that has been abandoned for unexplained reasons. She passes her days tending to an alien-looking flower that seems perfectly in tune with her own feelings and movements. One day, a woman from another land appears. She and Antonia speak different languages, but find ways to communicate. Together they journey to the newcomer's homeland, a place where donkeys build mazes and humans collect sounds (e.g., chickens clucking) the way mockingbirds do. Because the people are sonic sponges, mirrors are sacred tools: "We realized something, by accident: mirrors could bring us back. We'd see our reflection, and remember." The motif of mirrors and the introduction of a character named Narciso all allude to the Narcissus myth; Medem also pulls from flamenco lyrics, which are listed in back matter. The characters can feel like cyphers, or metaphors, as the story meanders and puzzles through bright gradient backgrounds, vines that drape across panels, and reflections that melt into water and sky. Along the way, Medem effectively conveys themes of loneliness, intimacy, and communal consciousness. This evocative mood piece will appeal to fans of art comics. (Feb.)